Friday, July 25, 2008 Military chief proposes indefinite ceasefire with Reds
ARMED Forces Chief Alexander Yano on Thursday proposed an indefinite ceasefire agreement with the communist movement to pave the way for the resumption of formal peace negotiations.
Yano's proposal is a notch higher than the one offered by his predecessor, Hermogenes Esperon Jr. who offered - before he retired from the service in May - a three-year ceasefire as a precondition to the resumption of the stalled talks.
After his retirement, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed Esperon as presidential peace adviser.
He replaced Jesus Dureza who had been designated as press secretary.
He now supervises the talks with both the communists and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The communists pulled out from the negotiating table in 2004 in protest of the inclusion of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, New People's Army (NPA), in the United States' list of foreign terrorist organizations.
"I am echoing that initial offer by the former chief of staff now the secretary of Opapp (Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process) and even a longer ceasefire, indefinite cessation of hostilities as what we have done with the MILF," said Yano.
"The longer (ceasefire that is forged), the better. As long as we are talking our peace negotiations, definitely that ceasefire will have to take effect," said Yano.
Unlike the MILF, the government does not have a standing truce with the communists. The government only declares truce with the CPP/NPA, which is usually reciprocated by the communists, on special occasions like Christmas and New Year.
"That is the stand of the Armed Forces and the government, the longer the ceasefire is, it will be favorable not only to us but to the entire country. Its (effect on peace) will not be one side but to the entire country as well," said Yano.
He noted that the Filipino people have been suffering a lot from NPA atrocities in the countryside.
"Let us give them the chance to savor peace that we want even if it is only on a temporary basis so they can enjoy peace without firing of guns and that is why we are pushing for a ceasefire," he said.
"Just as what we have been doing to the MILF, while we are talking, there is an ongoing ceasefire which is really a very important ingredient in any peace talks. Definitely, we cannot talk peace on the negotiating table while our warriors, our fighters are shooting each other in the frontline," added Yano.
Meanwhile, a group of NPA guerrillas again used a United Nations-banned landmine in another atrocity in North Cotabato Province early Thursday morning, resulting in the killing of a village official and wounding of three policemen.
The military's Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) said the fatality, Ricky Apolinario of Barangay San Vicente, Makilala, and the three injured policemen were about to respond to an earlier rebel attack when their vehicle stepped into a landmine planted by the rebels.
EastMinCom spokesman Armand Rico disclosed that about 15 rebels swooped down on the banana plantation of DOLE Philippines in the barangay and burned palletizing equipment, allegedly for the firm's refusal to pay revolutionary tax.
Rico said upon learning of the attack, the group of Apolinario tried to rush to the scene to provide assistance against the rebels but their multi-cab vehicle ran over the landmine while approaching the plantation.
He said Colonel Alex Estomo, commanding officer of the Army's 602nd Infantry Brigade, has ordered the establishment of blocking positions as soldiers from the 57th Infantry Battalion were ordered deployed to conduct pursuit operations against the rebels.
This is the second time the rebels used landmine since July 13 when they detonated a landmine in Maco, Compostela Valley that left two soldiers injured.
The soldiers were conducting combat operation when they were attacked by the rebels.
Rico said the use of landmine is against international laws, citing the convention by the United Nations, banning the use of landmines.
He said landmines should not be used to espouse a certain cause since such materials do not spare civilians. (VR/Sunnex)
